Vancouver Sun: Burke possesses the fatal flaw of character - obnoxious arrogance

[Rants Mulliniks]

Nope.

A couple of draft picks can change a team's future for years.

The team is just as terrible with Kessel as it is without him.

In the case of the Kessel trade we lost out on both quantity and quality.

To summarize, your opinion is go for quantity over quality.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

All I can say is that it is a blessing in disguise that Burke screwed up with both those players so bad...otherwise the Leafs would have done better as a team and we wouldn't have Morgan Rielly in our system.

He screwed up with a player that wasn't even supposed to suit up?

 

[Bomber0104]

To summarize, your opinion is go for quantity over quality.

At the time and under Burke's own words, what he thought he was doing was going for quality over quantity.

What actually happened of course is that Toronto, a last placed rebuilding team, surrendered quantity and quality over quality.

Which is a major reason he got the boot.

 

[Bomber0104]

He screwed up with a player that wasn't even supposed to suit up?

Oh but suit up he did.

He suited up nearly every game I believe.

Must have got the pressbox maybe once or twice, no?

 

[babblemoth]

"Burke seemed to place himself in a category that was apart from human beings."

Seriously? Talk about dramatics.

 

[Bomber0104]

"Burke seemed to place himself in a category that was apart from human beings."

Seriously? Talk about dramatics.

Well, what exactly is wrong about that?

The guy refused to ever acknowledge even the slightest mistake and anyone who criticized him in the media (Simmons, radio, Cherry) would face him in a personal war of words rather than sticking to the issues or even accepting the criticisms.

 

[Leafidelity]

If the Vancouver Sun is anything like the Toronto Sun (which I assume it is), then a pre-schooler can write better journalism.

Its worse than the Toronto Sun, it's where the journalists that couldn't hack it in Toronto go.

 

[EDDIE20*]

Its worse than the Toronto Sun, it's where the journalists that couldn't hack it in Toronto go.

I thought that was the Ottawa Sun. My bad.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

"He refused to acknowledge that trading three prospects for a good player when the club desperately needed quantity more than quality was a miscalculation. He refused to acknowledge that elevating Dion Phaneuf into exalted status and making the bold pronouncement that this was the player who would lead the Leafs down the championship road was far too much pressure for a decent player to handle."

This is so ridiculous. What GM would ever say trading for a player that's currently on his team was a mistake? What a joke that article is.

And Burke is gone. Forget about him.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Well, what exactly is wrong about that?

The guy refused to ever acknowledge even the slightest mistake and anyone who criticized him in the media (Simmons, radio, Cherry) would face him in a personal war of words rather than sticking to the issues or even accepting the criticisms.

Assuming we accept your premise, what about that makes him not a human being?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Oh but suit up he did.

He suited up nearly every game I believe.

Must have got the pressbox maybe once or twice, no?

So what's your point?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

At the time and under Burke's own words, what he thought he was doing was going for quality over quantity.

What actually happened of course is that Toronto, a last placed rebuilding team, surrendered quantity and quality over quality.

Which is a major reason he got the boot.

So to summarize again, you prefer quantity over quality?

 

[achtungbaby]

"He refused to acknowledge that trading three prospects for a good player when the club desperately needed quantity more than quality was a miscalculation. He refused to acknowledge that elevating Dion Phaneuf into exalted status and making the bold pronouncement that this was the player who would lead the Leafs down the championship road was far too much pressure for a decent player to handle."

This is so ridiculous. What GM would ever say trading for a player that's currently on his team was a mistake? What a joke that article is.

And Burke is gone. Forget about him.

So you've never brought up JFJ in the last 4 years?

 

[RogerRoeper*]

The Vancouver Sun should forget about Burke and write about what a smelly mess Gillis has created.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

So you've never brought up JFJ in the last 4 years?

I don't understand your point? They're knocking Burke for not publicly admitted Kessel was a mistake. But Kessel is currently on the team and he needs to re-sign him. It really is such a ridiculous argument. No GM ever would do that.

 

[Erdinger]

The Vancouver Sun should forget about Burke and write about what a smelly mess Gillis has created.

Exactly. Plus a hometown team that was so unlikeable they did the impossible. They managed to turn 28 other previously neutral fanbases into Boston Bruins fans for an SC series.

 

[achtungbaby]

I don't understand your point? They're knocking Burke for not publicly admitted Kessel was a mistake. But Kessel is currently on the team and he needs to re-sign him. It really is such a ridiculous argument. No GM ever would do that.

You're telling people that Burke is gone and to forget about him. I'm wondering why they should do that unless you didn't bring up JFJ in the last 4 years. Simple.

 

[Pi]

The Vancouver Sun should forget about Burke and write about what a smelly mess Gillis has created.

Seriously!

Look at how smart Chiarelli is...as talented as Rask is, he got both sides to agree on a one year deal.

What does Gillis do? Sees Schneider play a few games as a back up...decides it's time to give 4M/year to him for the next 3 years. 9M on goalies. They also have 12 players making more than 4M...the next highest team has 7.

That team is a complete mess, their chance is now all but gone. St Louis, LA have been trending up, Vancouver is trending down.

Look for them to get out in the first or second round. I'm pretty sure even Kesler is frustrated with that team.

 

[hockeyfanz*]

You're telling people that Burke is gone and to forget about him. I'm wondering why they should do that unless you didn't bring up JFJ in the last 4 years. Simple.

We should actually forget about both of them. They both sucked. Focus on the future. Nonis seems smart. Best part of him is in the matter of a few days he made a number of moves without much fanfare at all. Nice moves. Cleaning out the crap. Extending Lupul (although some question the term), I personally thought it was a decent contract. No drama...just getting on with the job. I like it. Willing to give the guy a shot. Forget about Burke? Gladly.

 

[EDDIE20*]

Exactly. Plus a hometown team that was so unlikeable they did the impossible. They managed to turn 28 other previously neutral fanbases into Boston Bruins fans for an SC series.

I know I was. That series showed how clueless the Canucks can be. To frequent diving and embellishing to Luongo beaking off about how he "would've made that save easily". They have nobody else to blame but themselves for losing.

Seems to me the Vancouver Sun writes about the Leafs more often than not. Pick up a copy of the Toronto Sun and check for articles regarding the Canucks. You won't find any.

 

[StringerBell]

Some people talk about Burke's "loyalty" but what it really is is an unwillingness to admit you're wrong.

I mean, come on, Dan Cloutier in Vancouver is the perfect example. He refused to get a new goalie. I'm sure there are other cases, I've read a few good articles about what he did in BC but that's the one as an outsider that made me think years ago that he was inept.

Then he comes to Toronto and brings in all his Anaheim rehash buddies in Beauchemin, Giguere, May, etc.

Yeah, this is what really bothered me as a Canucks fan. Gillis is much the same way with his arrogance. Both guys made some really good moves in Vancouver but have let their stubbornness get in the way of making moves that need(ed) to be made, because God forbid someone of their intelligence could ever make a wrong decision.

Also, the "little-brother complex" being propagated in this thread is a bit overstated. If you think this article would have been any different had our former GM been fired from a non-Toronto team then you're delusional. It has nothing to do with the "Toronto's former GM" angle and everything to do with "Vancouver's former GM" angle.

Just a couple thoughts from a Vancouver Sun reader.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

You're telling people that Burke is gone and to forget about him. I'm wondering why they should do that unless you didn't bring up JFJ in the last 4 years. Simple.

Yeah but this is a Vancouver paper.

 

[TOGuy14]

Can I assume that the Vancouver Sun is as trashy as the Toronto Sun?

Burke is arrogant but I disagree with a lot of the statements made.

He refused to acknowledge that trading three prospects for a good player when the club desperately needed quantity more than quality was a miscalculation.

Since when do the Leafs need quantity over quality? We have tons of depth we need quality...

 

[RogerRoeper*]

Some people talk about Burke's "loyalty" but what it really is is an unwillingness to admit you're wrong.

I mean, come on, Dan Cloutier in Vancouver is the perfect example. He refused to get a new goalie. I'm sure there are other cases, I've read a few good articles about what he did in BC but that's the one as an outsider that made me think years ago that he was inept.

Then he comes to Toronto and brings in all his Anaheim rehash buddies in Beauchemin, Giguere, May, etc.

So you agree with the Vancouver Sun that Burke should have come out and stated the Kessel trade was a mistake?

What a delusional argument. No GM EVER does that. The Leafs need to Re-sign Kessel!


And bringing Beauchemin to Toronto was brilliant. He turned a UFA signing into Lupul and Gardiner.

 

[Preisst*]

The article is what it is, a media outlet trying to generate readership. Some of what they say in the excerpted portion (which is what I read) is accurate some of it is personal opinion.

What the excerpt says about Burke is what it is. It is not overly off the mark in its assessment but is one dudes opinion which will spark discussion/readership one way or the other.

Spot on as far as I am concerned. Most over rated executive in the history of hockey.

Glen Sather says hi.

This teams standings are his own. The trades are his own. His blow ups with the media are all his own. Wherever Burke lands he has an issue with someone shortly after. I wouldn't be surprised if he says he would rent out a barn at any place and any time and take on Anselmi and Lowe together.

Most over rated hockey executive of all time. Wilson most over rated coach of all time.

Again, Glen Sather says hi.

Well, what exactly is wrong about that?

The guy refused to ever acknowledge even the slightest mistake and anyone who criticized him in the media (Simmons, radio, Cherry) would face him in a personal war of words rather than sticking to the issues or even accepting the criticisms.

Sounds like the internet being played out in real life.